


Safest Place

by Reindrops



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Happy Ending, Haruno Sakura-centric, NaruSaku - Freeform, One-Sided Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke, POV Haruno Sakura, Post-Fourth Shinobi War, minor SasuSaku
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:28:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26788252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reindrops/pseuds/Reindrops
Summary: For most of Sakura’s life, she had only one goal: to be acknowledged by the love of her life, Sasuke Uchiha. It wasn’t until she was out with Ino that she realized that was no longer the case.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 7
Kudos: 95





	Safest Place

**Author's Note:**

> So I haven't written anything in awhile. When I was rewatching Naruto, something sparked and I had to get something written. Hoping this helps get me rolling out of this writers slump I've found myself in.  
> Please enjoy!

For most of Sakura’s life, she had only ever wanted to be acknowledged by the love of her life, Sasuke Uchiha. It was what had driven her to push on training and convincing Tsunade to take her as her pupil. Sakura wanted more than anything to be Sasuke’s equal. To be someone he would be proud to have at his side.

She had lost friends for her love of Sasuke, though she was gradually gaining those back. Her and Ino were closer than ever after their fight during the Chunins, an unspoken understanding between them ever since. And now that Ino and Sai were a couple, it made that part of their friendship easier. 

Sakura had hoped she’d proved herself again during the great war. She was proud of herself for all she had accomplished, how many people she had helped. She had literally brought Naruto back to life. She literally had held his heart in her hands. She was a hero in her own right. 

Yet when Sasuke left the village, he left her behind. Again.

He may have shown her more affection before leaving than he ever had before. It had sustained her for months, knowing his heart might have softened towards her a little. Sakura and Naruto sent him letters whenever his hawk came to the village, but he rarely had much to say to her. Not that it was surprising. 

Deciding not to put her life on hold, Sakura continued with her life. She’d been left behind before. 

This time, though, she wasn’t really alone. Naruto was here, and Sakura couldn’t be happier. 

Not long after Sasuke left, Sakura had moved into her own place, and Naruto had helped her settle in. He was usually at her place every night. He had grown up alone, and even though now the whole village loved and accepted him, Sakura wondered if a part of him still felt alone in his empty apartment. 

Naruto had grown into one of the greatest shinobi. Even more than that, he had grown into a fine, young man. Even years after the war, everyone still waved to him on the streets, they looked up to him with adoration and wonder. Through it all, he still remained humble and down to earth. His smile could still light up a whole room, and he hadn’t stopped his neverending feel-good speeches he had become known for. Sakura was glad that while the war had mellowed him out a bit, matured him, he was still a knucklehead.

He was her best friend, her other half. He knew everything about her, inside out. After the war, both had trouble sleeping and had developed a bit of insomnia for a time. They would stay up late, on the roof of their building and watch the stars talking about the nightmares that haunted them. The nightmares that took the form of the people they had lost, the people they couldn’t protect. Naruto dreamed of Neji, of his parents, of his last fight with Sasuke. 

Sakura dreamed mostly of faceless ninja gone too soon. But sometimes, she dreamed of Sasuke trying to kill her. She understood in her heart of hearts he wasn’t that person anymore. But her dreams would never let her forget of who he used to be. She had wanted to kill him, too, she tried to remind herself. 

Naruto had told her Sasuke would never hurt her now. But his absence hurt them both. They wanted Sasuke with them. Their time together had been short lived, and it was hard watching all the other teams still together. Though Lee and TenTen had it worse in every way. At least Sasuke was still alive. How many other ninja died that was someone’s friend, sibling, or parent? They shouldn’t mourn the living.

What Sakura loved about Naruto more than anything was how he knew every part of her, the ugly, the bad, the lies, and he loved her anyway. He loved her too big forehead, her odd, pink hair, her Amazon strength. He really was her person, and she couldn’t imagine her life without him.

To think she had dreaded being on his team. How far they’d both come since then.

“You know,” Ino said, cutting into Sakura’s thoughts, “you and Naruto have been spending an awful lot of time together.” She flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder, acting like her question wasn’t a big deal.

Sakura frowned, wondering what had brought this on. The two girls were eating supper together after shifts at the hospital at their favorite restaurant. “You spend a lot of time with your teammates, too, I’m sure.”

“I hang out with my teammates a few times a week, sure. Not every single waking moment of our day,” Ino waves her chopsticks at Sakura. 

“Naruto and I don’t do everything together. He’s not here now, is he?” Sakura points out, though she knows what Ino is getting at. 

Ino scrutinizes Sakura in silence for a moment before going back to eating, and Sakura thinks they’re done talking about it. But once they’ve paid and are walking home, Ino says, “When’s the last time you’ve heard from Sasuke?”

Sakura frowns, trying to think back. It had been several months, and if Sakura is honest with herself, she had stopped expecting anything for about a year now. Sasuke had been gone for three years, and he’d come back a handful of times since then. The last time she’d seen him was over a year ago, and she hadn’t gotten much correspondence from him since then. “I think a few months ago, he sent a missive.” It had been business as usual.

Ino nods, seemingly expecting that answer. “You know, if your feelings have changed about him, it’d be okay.” 

Opening her mouth to protest, Sakura wants to tell Ino that she still loves Sasuke no matter what. It’s what she’s been saying for years, since her pre-genin days. She would love Sasuke with all her heart and hope that one day he would return the favor. All she says is, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

She did love Sasuke. He was her teammate and now her friend. She would do anything for him. Of course she would. 

“I think you do,” Ino replied. She stopped walking and reached for Sakura's hand. “It’s just that after Sasuke left, you’ve been doing really well for yourself. You’re well on your way to being the head of the hospital, you’re a damn good kunoichi, and you finally seem happy.”

“Of course I’m happy, Naruto’s home, Sasuke’s out doing his own thing, but at least I know he’ll come back eventually,” Sakura replied. She wished Sasuke spent more time in the village, but she learned a long time ago she held no sway with him. But maybe that was the problem. How many times had she begged and pleaded for Sasuke to notice her, to acknowledge her feelings. How often had it amounted to anything?

“How long are you willing to wait for him to come back? What if he never does? Or what if he’s going to constantly be coming and going? Is that a life you want to live?” Ino asked.

“I stopped waiting for Sasuke a long time ago,” Sakura replied. “I’m living my life. I didn’t put my love life on hold for him.”

Ino gave Sakura a knowing smile. “Good.”

They parted ways with a wave to each other, heading home. The lights were on in her apartment, and Sakura was not at all surprised to find Naruto spread out on her futon in his comfiest, orangest, sweatpants and sweatshirt, the TV switched to some ninja skills show. A couple empty ramen cups and chopsticks littered her table. 

Ignoring the mess, Sakura flopped onto the couch beside him and stretched her feet to the coffee table. “How long have you been here?” she asked him.

“Not long. Maybe an hour,” he shrugged. “How was dinner with Ino?” He barely took his eyes off the TV.

Sakura pulled her pink tresses out of it’s ponytail as she answered, “Good. We talked about Sasuke.” She watched for a reaction.

She didn’t get one. “Oh yeah? What about?”

“Ino told me not to wait for Sasuke to come back.”

At that, Naruto turned and looked at her, “I’m sure Sasuke will come back, Sakura. He might even take you with him when he leaves if you ask again.”

When she didn’t say anything, Naruto returned his attention back to the TV. Sakura wasn’t sure when her change of heart had happened in the last couple of years. There wasn’t one defining moment that changed everything. Sakura knew Naruto had always had feelings for her, but it had never gotten in the way of their friendship. Not since she had made that phony confession all those years ago. 

It had hurt Naruto to tell her that Sasuke would come back. In his mind, she had her mind made up. Her feelings for Sasuke was the one topic they rarely ever broached. Looking back, she regretted that. How much time had they wasted? Naruto never pushed Sakura to return his feelings. He wanted her in his life in whatever way he could get, even if it wasn’t with him romantically. He’d be there for her no matter what.

Sakura knew this. He had always been there for her. He had always tried to do whatever it took to make her happy, oftentimes to his own detriment. He had been the one to see her for the strong shinobi she had become. He pushed her to be better. He helped her get better. 

Naruto was Sakura’s best friend. And at that moment, she realized she loved Naruto in every way. 

“I’m sure you’re right,” Sakura replied. “But that’s not what I hope happens.”

“You’re right; I hope he stays for good this time,” Naruto nods.

“I hope he does, too, but that’s not what I meant,” Sakura said, surprising him. When he looked at her in confusion, she continued. “Sasuke will always hold a special place in my heart, but I stopped expecting anything romantic from him years ago. I won’t be left behind again.”

Naruto frowned. “You’re not in love with Sasuke anymore?”

“No.”

“Oh.” Naruto didn’t seem to quite believe her. 

“Naruto,” Sakura shifted on the couch so she was sitting closer to him. “The guy I want to be with is sitting on this couch with me.”

The look on Naruto’s face was almost worth being so bold and putting herself out there like this. She figured why beat around the bush and just put her feelings out there, front and center. Her confession had him momentarily paralyzed as he tried to take in the words she had dropped so casually.

“This is the part where you ask me on a date now,” Sakura told him with a smile.

“Sakura, are you serious? This isn’t some joke?” he asked, which was a fair question after her previous false confession.

“Of course not,” she reached for his hand and laced their fingers together. “You’re my best friend and the only one I can’t wait to see at the end of a long day; you’re the only one who knows the ugly parts of me and has never judged me for it. I love you, Naruto Uzumaki. I’m sorry it took me so long to sort out my feelings, but I hope you still feel the same way about me.”

“Of course I do, Sakura. I just, can’t quite believe it, you know?” a wide grin spread across Naruto’s face, and Sakura felt like he was glowing, radiating happiness. The infectious kind of smile that Sakura had to return.

“I really do love you,” she reminded him.

“I love you, too,” Naruto leaned in. “Can I kiss you?”

Sakura giggled. “You may.” 

So he did. The kiss was chaste at first, tentative. As though he was still feeling her out, giving her every opportunity to pull away. When she doesn’t, the kiss becomes firmer. He leans into her, his hand coming up, which he brushes along her cheek and into her hair. Sakura fists her hands in his sweatshirt, pushing into him, and opening her mouth to his.

Kissing Naruto feels like getting a drink in the middle of a draught. You never want to stop. He feels like a sunrise, taking her breath away. Naruto is her home, and in his arms, she feels safe and secure and she never wants to leave. He is happiness incarnate, and she is one lucky lady.

Several months later after both having returned from separate missions, Naruto and Sakura were walking hand in hand home from the village market, each carrying a bag in their free hand. “Have you found any apartments that you think we should tour?” Sakura asked him. They had decided that since they spent almost every night together anyway, they might as well have all their stuff in the same place.

As they were rounding the corner to Sakura’s street, a familiar figure awaited them as they neared. “Sasuke?” Sakura was taken aback. They had gotten no word he had been planning on coming back.She noted his eyes pausing on their joined hands but not lingering.

“Sasuke!” Naruto yelled in surprise, he dropped Sakura’s hand to try and hug Sasuke, who held him off half heartedly. “Did you just get back? How long are you staying this time?”

“For a few weeks probably,” he replied, 

“Do you want to have dinner with Sakura and me? We were going to make dumplings!” Naruto asked good naturedly. 

Sakura wasn’t surprised when Sasuke turned his offer down. “Maybe next time.”

“We’ll have to get Kakashi-Sensei to do a Team 7 supper together sometime while you’re back,” Sakura told him.

Sasuke nodded but didn’t say anything. Naruto wanted to try again to get him to hang out with them, but Sasuke kept walking with a wave over his shoulder. 

“I’m sure he’s just tired from his travels,” Naruto assured her. He grabbed her bag from her and headed up to Sakura’s place ahead of her. 

As Sakura got to the stairs leading up to her floor, she turned and watched Sasuke disappear around the corner. She didn’t know what she thought she’d feel seeing Sasuke again, after she had decided to move on and be with Naruto. But she was glad to see it didn’t hurt as much as she thought it might. Letting go of a love that had consumed her for so long was bound to bring some aches to her heart, but she found she felt content. 

Everything was as it should be. Naruto was still her best friend, and she loved him with her whole heart. Sasuke was home if only for a little while. And for the first time in a long time, things fell into place. The world was right. Sakura had everything she had ever wanted.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! This is my first NaruSaku story. Please be kind! :)
> 
> I appreciate any kudos/subscribes/comments you might send my way!


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